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| American folk singer & guitarist Richard Pierce. Photo by: Google Image |
The American folk singer & guitarist who is best known for his intense and rhythmic guitar style, Richard Pierce who is famous as"Richie Havens" has died at his age of 72 at a heart attack yesterday 23rd April. The singer who opened the legendary 1969 Woodstock rock festival died at his home in Jersey City according to the Reuters news agency.
Born on 21st January 1941 to Brooklyn, New York of USA, Richard Pierce began organising his neighbourhood friends into street corner doo-wop groups and was performing with The McCrea Gospel Singers at his age of 16. His Woodstock appearance proved to be a major turning point in his Successful music career. Richard Pierce who has released more than 25 albums improvised version of the gospel song “Motherless Child” evolved into “Freedom” and became a hippie generation anthem. In the year 1999, Richard Pierce talking to CNN told how his musical talents allowed him to leave his rough neighbourhood in Brooklyn, and move to the Greenwich Village neighbourhood in Manhattan for the flourishing music scene. “I believe I inherited my sense of music from my father. My father was an ear piano player; he could just hear something and play it. I came up in Brooklyn singing doo-wop music from the time I was 13 to the time I was 20. That music served a purpose of keeping a lot of people out of trouble, and also it was a passport from one neighbourhood to another.” said Richard Pierce who during the 1980s & 1990s continued a world touring schedule and a steady release of famous albums such as, The End of the Beginning, Mixed Bag II, Portfolio, The great blind degree, Alarm Clock, Stonehenge, Something else again, Electric heavens and A Richie heaven's road. After 45 years due to health concerns, Richard Pierce on his official Facebook page announced that he would stop touring. Richard Pierce spent 30 years touring after his breakthrough Woodstock performance, and recorded 30 albums until he faced serious health condition.
Richard Pierce who formed an oceanographic children's museum in the name of North wind Undersea Institute, an organization which educates children about the environmental issues received Tributes with his contemporary. In a public statement Richard Pierce 's family said a public memorial would be announced later and asked for privacy in the meantime. The fans of Richie Havens will always miss him and he will be remembered as an inspiring legend for his true inspiring music.
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